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My first #GamerGate email

[note: some information from the original e-mail has been cut so as to preserve the privacy of myself, my family, and others]

To whom it may concern,

Hello, my name is Dante D’Andrea. I am a 21 year old Downingtown resident who works for a local business. I have been a lifelong resident of Downingtown, and intend on calling Downingtown my home for years to come. I love this town, the people who live here, and the wonderful administration that has done so much for me and my family. I was proud to graduate from Downingtown East High School with honors in 2012, and repeatedly represent the school in a number of county-wide academic competitions. I am especially proud that my academic work helped Downingtown East rise to become one of the top high schools in Pennsylvania. I am more than proud to endorse Downingtown’s schools as being exceptionally skilled at handling students like myself diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders as well as mental illness, and providing a welcome space for LGBT individuals like myself.
[Information redacted as it pertains to my family’s involvement in the local community]

Unfortunately, it seems that my family, and possibly Downingtown as a whole, has been caught up in some unpleasant business. I personally identify with the online consumer activist movement known as #GamerGate. #GamerGate is a movement primarily focused on reform in video games journalism. If you wish to learn more about #GamerGate, I will direct you to our rather lengthy, yet comprehensive press dossier. There is also an abridged version that will explain #GamerGate and its goals. I was primarily attracted to #GamerGate for two reasons. First, the document that started it all, TheZoePost, was a heartwrenching tale of emotional abuse and manipulation that spoke to me as an abuse survivor myself. The idea that games media has and intends to continue protecting an abuser like Zoe Quinn is something I cannot in good conscience allow to continue. Second, what drove me to get involved even more was the campaign of organized hate and harassment carried out by press outlets and anti-#GamerGate activists all in the name of “social justice”. As a disabled LGBT individual, seeing people being attacked and livelihoods ruined supposedly in my name is upsetting and distressing.

Sadly, this has brought me and my family into the crosshairs of one Robert “Bobby” Oliviera of Utica, New York. For reasons yet unknown to me, Mr. Oliviera has decided to attack #GamerGate and its supporters. Mr. Oliviera claims to head a number of Political Action Committees, and my own research has revealed two: Quahogs United and Total Newport Campaign. Because I personally criticized his behavior of organizing harassment against public #GamerGate supporters, he has now decided to harass me and my family. I have attached multiple screencaps of Oliveira discussing his intention to harass me, my family, and other individuals, as well as one threatening phone call that I received at my house. I have reported this call to the police as well as blocked Mr. Oliveira’s number, although he claims that he has more numbers and can continue to call my house as much as he wants. I am currently in the process of determining if a restraining order against him is necessary. While so far he has not violated any Pennsylvania state law, I feel that the attached evidence warrants me to reach out to my local government to keep myself and my family safe.

Mr. Oliviera so far has discussed organizing demonstrations against me and my family outside of our place of residence as well as running televised ads against me and my family on cable television. His intentions are clear, he wants to cost my father his job and force us out of our home. While by his own admission Oliviera has a history of abusing crack cocaine and suffers from bipolar disorder, I still feel that as a responsible citizen I should take any perceived threat to myself, my family, and my community very seriously.

If the information I present to you in this email can lead to some sort of possible action to protect me and my family from Mr. Oliviera and whatever company he keeps, I would like to know. Tomorrow (January 8th) I intend to visit the police station and speak with Chief [name redacted], as well as call the borough solicitor, two parties that Mr. Oliviera claims to have spoken to. If there is another public official who could help me, I would appreciate it if you forwarded this information to them as well as provided me with their information. If Mr. Oliviera contacts you or any of your associates, I would strongly appreciate it if I was informed, as well as provided with a possible recording or transcript of his communications. If you wish to meet with me in person to discuss the issue, I would be more than willing to set up a time and date. I would like to state in advance that I am on the autistic spectrum and have social anxiety issues, and so phone calls and face-to-face conversations can be a bit difficult. However, I am willing to do whatever it takes to protect my family, disabilities or not. However, for the sake of my family’s privacy and emotional well-being, I would like all contact to be made with me.

If you want to discuss the issue further, I can be reached at [number redacted]. The account I am emailing you from is my public personal one, and replies will also be appreciated. I want nothing more than to see my family safe and for this issue to be resolved calmly and peacefully. I am extremely grateful for your time, and I hope that we can find a solution to this shortly.